VDW increases production forecast for 2018

15.05.2018, 18:52

German machine tool industry takes off

According to the VDW, incoming orders in the German machine tool industry rose by 22% in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period of the previous year. Domestic orders increased by 39%. Foreign orders grew by 15 percent.

Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), Frankfurt am Main (Image: VDW)

"Our industry continues to be very dynamic in 2018," said Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association) in Frankfurt am Main, commenting on the result. "This is a seamless continuation of last year's outstanding development. Domestic orders remain the driving force. They are growing far more than twice as fast as foreign demand," Schäfer continued. Machining and forming contributed equally to the growth in orders in the first quarter. Capacity utilization was 93.4 percent.

Further increase in production

The boom in almost all user industries worldwide had already driven production and incoming orders to a record high last year. With an increase of seven percent, production exceeded the 16 billion euro mark in 2017. "Based on the high growth in orders last year, which will continue, we also see potential for higher production growth in 2018 than expected in February and are increasing our production forecast from five to another seven percent growth," explains Schäfer.

The industry assumes that the global economy will continue to provide a good environment for industrial investment. The upturn in demand is based on a broad foundation, both in terms of technologies and markets. High capacity utilization requires expansion and replacement investments. "If bottlenecks in production, personnel and supply do not become too serious, this ambitious goal should be easily achievable," concludes Schäfer. as

You might also be interested in

India Day auf der EMO 2017

Die indische Wirtschaft im Aufbruch

Führen Modinomics zu einer industriellen Renaissance in Indien? Dieser Frage geht der IndiaDay des VDW (Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken) am 20. September auf der EMO Hannover 2017 nach.

IT/OT Integration Summit 2026

Intelligent brownfield networking

Many industrial companies are struggling with established plant structures and proprietary interfaces. Stefan Klaus' presentation will show in a practical way how brownfield environments can be efficiently networked with open technologies and made...

IT/OT Integration Summit 2026

Factory-X in practice

How can set-up processes in highly variant production be automated efficiently? Markus Benndorff from soffico shows how Factory-X, industrial data rooms and modular architectures create new possibilities for flexible production concepts.

Mechanical engineering | Case study

Cordless in brush production

The machine manufacturer Wöhler Bohemia is integrating wireless HMI panels from Keba into its brush production systems. The background to this is the need for flexibility, robotics integration and new market strategies.

Interview

International product approvals as a strategic competitive advantage in the global market

Which certificates are valid worldwide? Christian Latte, Head of Technical Compliance and Approval Officer at Hummel AG, explains this in an interview. He provides insights into product approvals and explains why early approval strategies shorten...

User report

Foundry modernizes plant park with continuous wire belt shot blasting system

The Spanish foundry Funosa is modernizing its equipment fleet with an RDGE 1250 wire belt continuous shot blasting machine from Rösler. Focus: sand removal from heavy iron castings, energy efficiency, ease of maintenance and ESG strategy.

Short distances

How bridging steps, stairs and catwalks are changing processes in production and logistics

At Logimat 2026, Munk Günzburger Steigtechnik will be showcasing modular bridging steps, stairs, platform and walkway systems for production, warehousing and logistics. With online configurators, distances can be efficiently shortened, processes...